“What?”
She grinned wickedly. “Oh, don’t worry I won’t tell them.”
I glanced around as if one of them might pop out of a bush. “Who else knows?”
She rolled her eyes. “Like any of them are smart enough to take notice. If they did, maybe Daniel and I wouldn’t be planted so firmly in the friend zone.”
We continued walking, and she bumped my hip with hers. “Both are great choices. I know I teased Theo about staying away from you, but he’s a good guy as long as you know what you’re getting into. Just because I’ve never seen him commit doesn’t mean he’s incapable. Plus, it’s not like you have to pick any time soon. Just give it time. Get to know both of them.”
I was relieved she wasn’t mad or demanding I pick between her friends. I wasn’t ready. I really liked both of them and was having fun hanging out with them.
Plus, no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get Niall out of my mind.
Chapter 27
Spells aren’t nearly as interesting as I expected. I wanted an ancient spell book full of magical words, but what I needed was a Latin dictionary. Mr. Haddon was right. I should have taken the language class, but my brain probably would have exploded if I added anything else to my workload.
Like the week before, Mrs. Hedgings wanted to give me a practical lesson on casting spells and let me pick what I wanted to start with. My detangler was working better than I could have imagined. My hair was smoother than ever, and my nervous braids combed out to silky stands rather than crimped, frizzy chunks. I could use more of that magic in my life.
“There are too many options. How am I supposed to decide on just one?” I flipped through her book of favorites.
“What do you have a need for?” She guided me. “A device to show you to your classes? A pen that will write down what you dictate?”
That sounded helpful but not something I wanted right now. A sleeping spell or a dream blocker would be ideal, but I needed to wait for Ms. Chronis for that. She was taking her sweet time replying with her availability.
Of course, she felt no sense of urgency. She was time. What did she care if I was quickly losing my mind from keeping myself awake?
No, what I needed and what Mrs. Hedging could help with was some way to make sure my secrets stayed that way. I wanted a place to store what I found without the possibility of it being discovered. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Natasha . . . okay, I didn’t. Especially not after finding out who her grandfather is and her dabbling in magic that toes the line between right and wrong. I doubted she would waste her time digging through my things, but I didn’t want to take any chances either.
“Is there a spell to make something lock or stay closed? Even if another witch tries to unlock it?”
She flipped toward the back of the book. “Yes, remember: our magic is mostly controlled by our intentions. If you cast this spell with the intention of only your being able to open it, then that’s how it will work.”
I liked the simplicity of that. Hopefully, it was true, and not just easy for her because she was so experienced.
“So, this is the word you’ll need to say.” She pointed to the first line on the page.
“Cincinno?”
She nodded. “You’re pronouncing it correctly. Try again with more force.”
“Cincinno.” It sounded better to me.
Her smile widened a bit, and she picked a small wooden box with a small gold latch from the shelf behind us. “Try it out.”
This was my first time casting a spell. I felt like I needed a wand or some hand signal. I glanced at her, and she smiled in encouragement. So I stared at the box and focused on wanting it to open only for me. “Cincinno.”
Nothing happened. No spark or burst of light.
“How do I know if it worked?”
She reached out and tried to open the lid. It stayed firmly in place.
Good box.
She pulled back, and I tried, but the latch wouldn’t even lift. It was sealed shut. “Why can’t I open it?”
“You have to say the spell to unlock it, but let’s make sure I can’t do it first.” She focused on the box. “Resingo.”